Jen Beattie

Jen Beattie
MBE
Beattie with Arsenal in 2020
Personal information
Full name Jennifer Patricia Beattie[1]
Date of birth (1991-05-13) 13 May 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Glasgow, Scotland
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.77 m)
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Bay FC
Number 5
Youth career
Hamilton Academical
Queen's Park
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Queen's Park
2008–2009 Celtic
2009–2013 Arsenal 43 (11)
2013–2015 Montpellier 29 (5)
2015–2019 Manchester City 68 (6)
2015–2016 → Melbourne City (loan) 12 (2)
2019–2024 Arsenal 127 (3)
2024– Bay FC 8 (0)
International career‡
2007–2010 Scotland U19
2008–2022 Scotland 143 (24)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 January 2023

Jennifer Patricia Beattie MBE (born 13 May 1991) is a Scottish professional footballer who plays for Bay FC of the NWSL and formerly the Scotland national team. Her previous clubs include Celtic, Arsenal, Montpellier and Manchester City. Beattie is a tall, strong, right-footed player.[2] Although typically a defender or midfielder,[3] she is also an accomplished goalscorer.[4] She is the daughter of former Scotland and British Lions rugby union player John Beattie.

Early life

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Beattie began playing football with her brother Johnnie and his friends, while at primary school. She was eventually selected to the Glasgow Primary School select team, as the only girl, and was named captain.[5] Beattie then played with Hamilton Academical's boys' teams.[6]

Club career

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Queen's Park

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Beattie began her senior career in the Scottish Women's Premier League with Queen's Park FC Ladies as a 15-year-old. She helped the club reach the final of the Scottish Women's Premier League Cup in November 2007; Queen's Park lost 4–0 to a Hibernian Ladies team containing Beattie's future Arsenal teammate Kim Little.[7]

Celtic

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In January 2008 Beattie moved to Celtic Ladies.[8] She spent a year and a half with the club before leaving to join Arsenal Ladies.

Arsenal

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Beattie joined Arsenal in July 2009;[4][9] her first goals for Arsenal came on 8 November 2009 where she scored a stunning treble to seal a comeback against Chelsea after being 2–0 down at half-time.[10] In March 2010, Beattie played in attack during Arsenal's 2–0 defeat by FCR 2001 Duisburg in the quarter-final of the UEFA Women's Champions League.[11] While at Arsenal, she won the 2009 Women's Premier League, the 2011 and 2012 FA Women's League Cup, now called the Continental Cup, and the 2011 and 2013 FA Cups.

In the 2012–13 Champions League, she scored the opening goal when Arsenal defeated Barcelona 3–0 in the round of 16 first leg at the Mini Estadi;[12] Barcelona managed to keep the return leg at Meadow Park goalless by half time, at which point Beattie was brought on as a second half substitute to replace forward Kelly Smith. Beattie scored the first goal in the 53rd minute and completed her hat-trick by converting a penalty in added time, with Arsenal winning 4–0.[13]

Montpellier

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Beattie left Arsenal in July 2013 to join French Division 1 Féminine side Montpellier HSC on a two-year contract.[14][15][16] While at Montpellier, she made 25 regular season appearances with the side, scoring 5 goals in the process.[17][18]

Manchester City

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Beattie returned to England with Manchester City Women for the 2015 season.[19][20] In November 2018, she became the fifth player to reach 100 appearances for the club. She played a role in City's victories in the 2016 FA WSL, the 2016–17 and 2018–19 editions of the Women's FA Cup, and the 2018–19 FA Women's League Cup.

Melbourne City (loan)

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Beattie joined Manchester City's sister club Melbourne City during Manchester City's offseason, before the third round of the 2015–16 W-League season.[21] While at Melbourne City, she helped the club during its double W-League and Grand Final wins, as well as their 100% record season.[22]

Return to Arsenal

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Beattie rejoined Arsenal in June 2019,[23] subsequently winning the FA Women's Super League in 2019, and the 2023 Continental Tyres League Cup in a final against local rivals Chelsea.[24]

Bay FC

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Beattie left Arsenal in a transfer for an undisclosed fee to NWSL expansion club Bay FC on 2 February 2024, with her contract through the 2025 NWSL season with an option for 2026.[25]

International career

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Beattie (left, #15) with Scotland teammates, 2014

Beattie represented Scotland at under-17 level,[26] and made her debut for the under-19s at the age of 14.

Beattie made her debut for the senior Scotland side in March 2008, against the United States in Cyprus, as second-half substitute for Leanne Ross.[27] She went on to establish herself in the national side during the 2009 European Championships qualifying campaign. She scored her first international goal as Scotland beat Portugal 4–1 in a European Championship qualifying game in May 2008.[28] Beattie played in both legs of the qualifying play-off defeat to Russia in October and November 2008.[3] After the first leg, Beattie and Kim Little were identified by football writer Graham Spiers as talented youngsters.[29]

In March 2011, Beattie played as a striker and scored in Scotland's 2–0 win over England, the first time Scotland had beaten England since 1977.[30] Beattie became a regular with the Scotland national team. While she was instrumental in helping Scotland reach its first major tournament, the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro Championship, she missed out on the tournament due to injury.[31] She continued her contribution helping Scotland qualify for its first FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2019 tournament in France. On 15 May 2019 Beattie was named to the Scotland's 2019 Women's World Cup squad.[32][33] At the finals, she scored in the 3–3 tie with Argentina.[34]

On 27 January 2023, Beattie announced her retirement from international football, having made 143 appearances and scoring 24 goals.[35][36]

Personal life

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Beattie is the daughter of former Scotland and British Lions rugby union player, John Beattie and the sister of former Scottish rugby union international Johnnie Beattie.[2] She attended Jordanhill School in Glasgow[2] and on signing for Arsenal enrolled at Hertfordshire University.

In October 2020, Beattie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite this Beattie scored in Arsenal's 5-0 win over Brighton just three days after being diagnosed.[37] She had surgery to remove the lump and, as the cancer had not spread, began radiotherapy instead of chemotherapy.[38] Despite treatment Beattie continued to appear for both Arsenal and Scotland.[39] Beattie won the Helen Rollason Award for 2021, in recognition of her work since the cancer diagnosis.[40]

Beattie was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to association football and charity.[41][42] She was dating television personality and former Love Island winner Amber Gill, however they split in November 2023 due to conflicting work schedules.[43] Together with Rachel Yankey and Izzy Christiansen, Beattie presented a podcast on Sky Sports Football YouTube channel, 3 Players and A Podcast.

Career statistics

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International appearances

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Scotland statistics accurate as of match played 11 April 2023.[28]
Year Scotland
Apps Goals
2008 13 3
2009 11 1
2010 12 3
2011 10 6
2012 14 4
2013 15 2
2014 15 2
2015 10 1
2016 3 0
2017 6 0
2018 10 0
2019 10 1
2020 2 0
2021 6 0
2022 7 1
Total 143 24

International goals

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Scores and results list Scotland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Beattie goal.
List of international goals scored by Jen Beattie[28]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 3 May 2008 Municipal Stadium, Póvoa de Varzim  Portugal 4–1 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualification
2 28 September 2008 McDiarmid Park, Perth  Slovakia 6–0 2009 UEFA Women's Championship qualification
3 30 October 2008 Spartak Stadium, Nalchik  Russia 2–1 2009 UEFA Women's Championship play-off
4 24 October 2009 Yiannis Pathiakakis Stadium, Ano Liosia  Greece 1–0 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
5 27 March 2010 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi  Georgia 3–1 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
6 19 June 2010 Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Sofia  Bulgaria 5–0 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
7 21 August 2010 Strathclyde Homes Stadium, Dumbarton  Greece 4–1 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
8 4 March 2011 GSP Stadium, Nicosia  England 2–0 2011 Cyprus Cup
9 21 August 2011 Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk  Switzerland 5–0 Friendly
10 21 September 2011 Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh  Finland 7–2 Friendly
12 12 October 2011 Ness Ziona Stadium, Ness Ziona  Israel 6–1 2013 UEFA Women's Championship qualification
13 27 October 2011 Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh  Wales 2–2 2013 UEFA Women's Championship qualification
14 5 February 2012 Solitude, Belfast  Northern Ireland 5–1 Friendly
18 26 September 2013 Fir Park, Motherwell  Bosnia and Herzegovina 7–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
19 26 October 2013 Fir Park, Motherwell  Northern Ireland 2–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
20 7 March 2014 GSP Stadium, Nicosia  Netherlands 4–3 2014 Cyprus Cup
21 13 September 2014 Fir Park, Motherwell  Faroe Islands 9–0 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification
22 29 November 2015 St Mirren Park, Paisley  North Macedonia 0–0 2017 UEFA Women's Championship qualification
23 19 June 2019 Parc des Princes, Paris  Argentina 3–3 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
24 6 September 2022 Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn  Faroe Islands 6–0 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Honours

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Melbourne City[44]

Arsenal[44]

Manchester City[44]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/10/2009 and 31/10/2009" (PDF). The Football Association. p. 1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c White, Neil (26 October 2008). "Jennifer Beattie ready to play Russian roulette". London: The Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 August 2009.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ a b Wayne Harrison & Martins Hartmanis (29 May 2010). "Beattie despondent but unbowed". UEFA. Archived from the original on 1 June 2010. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  4. ^ a b "14. Jennifer Beattie". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  5. ^ Lynch, Michael (30 January 2016). "Soccer: Defensive backbone Jen Beattie eyes W-League medal as perfect souvenir". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  6. ^ Oatway, Caroline (23 December 2014). "MCWFC sign Jennifer Beattie". Manchester City. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  7. ^ Gavin Madeley (10 November 2007). "Match Report". The Pink. Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  8. ^ "John's girl now a Celt... Jen up". Evening Times. 26 January 2008.
  9. ^ "Statistics 2009–10". Arsenal F.C. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 2 October 2009.
  10. ^ "Chelsea Ladies 2 – Arsenal Ladies 3". BBC Sport. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  11. ^ Paul Saffer (14 March 2010). "Duisburg end Arsenal challenge". UEFA. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  12. ^ "The official website for European football".
  13. ^ "The official website for European football".
  14. ^ "Jennifer Beattie, L'Accent Écossais du MHSC" (in French). Montpellier HSC. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Arsenal Ladies duo to leave the club". www.arsenal.com. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  16. ^ "Beattie (Arsenal) à Montpellier" [Beattie (Arsenal) to Montpellier]. L'Équipe (in French). 19 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  17. ^ "Jennifer Beattie". Soccerway. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Jennifer Beattie" (in French). Montpellier HSC. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  19. ^ "Man City Women sign Jennifer Beattie from Montpellier". BBC Sport. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  20. ^ "CONTINENTAL CUP HOLDERS MAN CITY SIGN JENNIFER BEATTIE". The FA. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  21. ^ "W-League sign Jennifer Beattie on loan from sister club Manchester City Women". Melbourne City. 30 October 2015. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  22. ^ "JEN BEATTIE HITS CITY CENTURY". Melbourne City. 26 November 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  23. ^ "Jen Beattie: Arsenal Women sign Manchester City and Scotland defender". BBC Sport. 5 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  24. ^ a b Sanders, Emma (5 March 2023). "Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea: Gunners fight back to win Women's League Cup final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Bay FC signs Scottish defender Jen Beattie". Bay FC. 2 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Tony upbeat after Final defeat". Women's Soccer Scene. 17 April 2006. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
  27. ^ "Scotland v USA". The Scottish FA. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  28. ^ a b c Jen Beattie at the Scottish Football Association Edit this at Wikidata
  29. ^ Graham Spiers (26 October 2008). "It is definitely a mistake to patronise the women's game". The Times. Retrieved 2 October 2010.[dead link‍]
  30. ^ Leighton, Tony (4 March 2011). "England 0–2 Scotland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  31. ^ Graham Spiers (2 July 2017). "Leanne Crichton: Midfielder rues loss of Jen Beattie, Kim Little & Lizzie Arnot". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  32. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (15 May 2019). "Women's World Cup: Arsenal's Emma Mitchell left out of Scotland squad". The Guardian.
  33. ^ "Women's World Cup: Meet Shelley Kerr's Scotland squad for France". BBC Sport. 15 May 2019.
  34. ^ "Scotland crash out of Women's World Cup after dramatic Argentina comeback". Guardian. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Hanging up my Scotland boots". twitter.com/jbeattie91. Jen Beattie Twitter. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  36. ^ "Arsenal and Scotland's Jen Beattie announces international retirement". theathletic.com. The Athletic. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  37. ^ "Arsenal dominate Brighton to return top". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  38. ^ "Beattie plays on during cancer treatment". BBC Sport.
  39. ^ McElwee, Molly (12 December 2020). "Jen Beattie exclusive interview: "To score when I'd just been diagnosed with breast cancer – it was the epitome of a team coming together"". The Telegraph.
  40. ^ "Sports Personality 2021: Arsenal and Scotland defender Jen Beattie wins Helen Rollason Award". BBC Sport. 19 December 2021. Retrieved 23 December 2021.
  41. ^ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N16.
  42. ^ "New Year's Honours: Andy Robertson, Jen Beattie, Kim Little & Dave Ferguson get MBEs". BBC Sport. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  43. ^ Wratten, Marcus (6 April 2023). "Love Island's Amber Gill 'still figuring out' sexuality as she breaks silence on dating Jen Beattie". PinkNews. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
  44. ^ a b c "J. Beattie - Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
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